World of War in War
by Baran3
Summary: My male Avatar is send to the world of Warcraft by his own sister. Now Baran must unite all the factions of Azeroth before it's too late.
1. Prelude

World of War in War

**World of War in War.**

Disclaimer: I own nothing except Baran Sunheart.

Notes: This is my take on the fantastic universe of "World of Warcraft".

**Prelude**

**A brief overview of the**** Third War...and the founding of the New Age.**

Though the history of _Azeroth_ is rife with tales of war and unending struggle, the invasion of the demonic Burning Legion (a society of magic-consuming demons from another dimension) stands as the most destructive conflict ever known.

The Legion meticulously planned its return to the mortal world over the course of many long centuries.

Not so long ago, their grand design came to fruition at last.

**The Scourge of **_**Lordaeron**_

A generation past, the lords of the Burning Legion attempted to destroy the kingdoms of _Azeroth_ by loosing the orcish Horde (the Horde would later enter the Troll, Tauren and Undead under the same flag) upon the world. Ultimately their plans were undone when the corrupt Horde buckled in upon itself due to incessant infighting.

Undaunted, the demons surmised that a new and more unified force was necessary to sew chaos and disorder across the mortal world.

To this end, the demon _Kil'jaeden_ the Deceiver (second-in-command of the Burning Legion under the command of the Dark Titan _Sargeras_, now in charge after the destruction of their chief) created the Scourge – a vast army of undead warriors, united under the singular will of the dread Lich King (_Ner'zhul_, a former shaman orc corrupted by the Burning Legion, responsible for the shattering of the orcs' original world, then captured by _Kil'jaeden_ and transformed into the Lich King). With the Lich King as his puppet, _Kil'jaeden_ was able to rally the Scourge and prepare it to annihilate human civilization for all time. The Lich King and his mortal servant, _Kel'Thuzad_ (human archmage corrupted by _Ner'zhul_), planned to spread a terrible plague across the human lands, thereby swelling the ranks of the Scourge with newly risen undead warriors. Once their preparations were made, _Kel'Thuzad_ and his Cult of the Damned struck the first blow against civilization by releasing the plague upon northern _Lordaeron_.

_Uther _the Lightbringer (founder of the Knights of the Silver Hand), one of humanity's most famous heroes, investigated the infected regions in the hope of finding a way to halt the plague's progress. Despite his efforts, the plague continued to spread and threatened to tear the Alliance (union of the Dwarf, Gnome, human and later Night Elf races under one banner) apart. As the ranks of the undead swept across _Lordaeron_, the king's only son, Prince _Arthas_, took up the fight against the Scourge. _Arthas_ succeeded in killing _Kel'Thuzad_, but even so, the Lich King's forces grew with every soldier that fell in battle. Frustrated and stymied by the seemingly unstoppable enemy, _Arthas_ took increasingly extreme steps to hold back their advance. Finally _Uther_ warned _Arthas_ that he was losing his hold on humanity.

_Arthas_' fear and resolve proved to be his ultimate undoing. He tracked the plague's source to the arctic land of _Northrend_, intending to end its threat forever. Instead, he fell into the Lich King's trap when he took up the cursed runeblade _Frostmourne_ in the belief that he could use it to save his people.

The sword did indeed grant him unfathomable power; however, it also stole his soul. His spirit lost and his sanity shattered, _Arthas_ was transformed into the greatest of the Lich King's death knights. He willingly led the Scourge against his own kingdom, slew _Uther_ in battle, and murdered his own father, King _Terenas_. Caught off guard by _Arthas_' unthinkable crimes, _Lordaeron_ was crushed under the Lich King's iron heel.

**Sunwell – The Fall of **_**Quel'Thalas**_

Though he had defeated all of the people he now saw as his enemies, _Arthas_ was haunted by the ghost of _Kel'Thuzad_. The ghost told _Arthas_ to bring _Kel'Thuzad_'s remains to the mystical Sunwell (second incarnation of the Well of Eternity, the tainted source of all Arcane Magic on _Azeroth_ and hidden under _Nordrassil_, the World Tree), which was hidden within the high elves' kingdom of _Quel'Thalas_.

Accordingly, _Arthas_ and his Scourge invaded _Quel'Thalas_ and laid siege to the high elves' crumbling defences. _Sylvanas Windrunner_, the Ranger-General of Silvermoon, put up a valiant fight, but _Arthas_ eventually wiped out the high elf army and won through to the Sunwell. In a cruel gesture of his dominance, he even raised _Sylvanas_' defeated body as a banshee, cursed to mindless undeath in the service of _Quel'Thalas_' conqueror.

In due course, _Arthas_ submerged _Kel'Thuzad_'s remains within the holy waters of the Sunwell. Although the potent waters of Eternity were fouled by this act, _Kel'Thuzad_ was reborn as a sorcerous lich. Resurrected as a far more powerful being, _Kel'Thuzad_ explained the next phase of the Lich King's plan.

By the time _Arthas_ and his army of the dead turned southward, not one living elf remained in _Quel'Thalas_. The glorious homeland of the high elves, which had stood for more than nine thousand years, was no more.

_**Archimonde**_**'s Return and the Flight to **_**Kalimdor**_

Once _Kel'Thuzad_ was whole again, _Arthas_ led the Scourge south towards _Dalaran_. There the lich would obtain the powerful spellbook of _Medivh_ (archmage from the past, corrupted by the spirit of _Sargeras_ who used him to forge the Dark Portal between _Azeroth_ and _Draenor_) and use it to summon the demonlord _Archimonde_ the Defiler (chief of the very first invasion of the Burning Legion) back into the world. From that point on, _Archimonde_ himself would lead the Legion's final invasion. Not even the wizards of the Kirin Tor (ruling council of _Dalaran_) could stop _Arthas_' forces from stealing _Medivh_'s book, and soon _Kel'Thuzad_ had all he needed to perform the summoning. After ten thousand years, the mighty demon _Archimonde_ and his host emerged once again upon the world of _Azeroth_. Yet _Dalaran_ was not their final destination.

Under orders from _Kil'jaeden_ himself, _Archimonde_ and his demons followed the undead Scourge to _Kalimdor_, bent on destroying _Nordrassil_, the World Tree.

In the midst of this chaos, a mysterious prophet appeared to lend the mortal races guidance. This prophet proved to be none other than _Medivh_ (still struggling with the soul of _Sargeras_ and still being the Guardian of Tirisfal), the last Guardian, miraculously returned from the Beyond to redeem himself for past sins. _Medivh_ told the Horde and the Alliance of the dangers they faced and urged them to band together. Jaded by generations of hate, the orcs and humans would have none of it. _Medivh_ was forced to deal with each race separately, using prophecy and trickery to guide them across the sea to the legendary land of _Kalimdor_. The orcs and humans soon encountered the long-hidden civilization of the night elves.

Led by their young warchief, _Thrall_ (formerly a slave of the humans, he managed to gather the free orcs into the Horde and brought back their shamanic roots), the orcs suffered a series of setbacks on their journey across _Kalimdor_'s Barrens. Though they befriended _Cairne Bloodhoof_ and his mighty tauren warriors, many orcs began to succumb to the demonic bloodlust (result of the corruption by the Burning Legion) that had plagued them for years. Even _Thrall_'s greatest lieutenant, _Grom Hellscream_, betrayed the Horde by giving himself over to his baser instincts. As _Hellscream_ and his loyal Warsong warriors stalked through the forests of _Ashenvale_, they clashed with the night elf Sentinels.

Certain that the orcs had returned to their warlike ways, the demigod _Cenarius_ (an ancient being, son of the only true goddess of _Azeroth_, the Moon-Goddess _Elune_) came forth to drive _Hellscream_ and his orcs back. Even so, _Hellscream_ and his orcs, overcome with supernatural hate and rage, managed to kill _Cenarius_ and corrupt the ancient forestlands. _Hellscream_ later redeemed his honour, however, by helping _Thrall_ defeat _Mannoroth_ the Destructor, the demonlord who first cursed the orcs with his bloodline of hate and rage. With _Mannoroth_'s death, the orcs' blood-curse was finally brought to an end.

While _Medivh_ worked to convince the orcs and humans of the need for an alliance, the night elves fought the Legion in their own secretive ways.

_Tyrande Whisperwind_, the immortal High Priestess of the night elf Sentinels, battled desperately to keep the demons and undead from overrunning the forests of _Ashenvale_. _Tyrande_ realized that she needed help, so she set out to awaken the night elf druids from their thousand-year slumber. Calling upon her love, _Malfurion Stormrage_, _Tyrande_ succeeded in galvanizing her defences and driving the Legion back. With _Malfurion_'s help, nature herself rose up to vanquish the Legion and its Scourge allies.

While searching for more of the hibernating druids, _Malfurion_ found the barrow prison in which he had chained his brother, _Illidan_ (Highborn of the past, addicted to magic and responsible of the creation of the Sunwell). Convinced that _Illidan_ would aid them against the Legion, _Tyrande_ set him free. Though _Illidan_ did aid them for a time, he eventually fled to pursue his own interests.

The night elves braced themselves and fought the Burning Legion with grim determination. The Legion had never ceased in its desire for the Well of Eternity, long the source of strength for the World Tree and itself the heart of the night elf kingdom. If their planned assault on the Tree was successful, the demons would literally tear the world apart since as the source of all magic in _Azeroth_, the Well of Eternity was the primary anchor of the whole world.

**The Battle of Mount **_**Hyjal**_

Under _Medivh_'s guidance, _Thrall_ and _Jaina Proudmoore_ – the leader of the human forces in _Kalimdor_ – realized that they had to put aside their differences. Similarly, the night elves, led by _Malfurion_ and _Tyrande_, agreed that they must unite if they hoped to defend the World Tree. Unified in purpose, the races of _Azeroth_ worked together to fortify the World Tree's energies to their utmost. Empowered by the very strength of the world, _Malfurion_ succeeded in unleashing _Nordrassil_'s primal fury when the whole night elves race poured and thus sacrificed their immortality within the mighty tree, utterly destroying _Archimonde_ and severing the Legion's anchor to the Well of Eternity. The final battle shook the continent of _Kalimdor_ to its roots. Unable to draw power from the Well itself, the Burning Legion crumbled under the combined might of the mortal armies.

**The Betrayer Ascendant**

During the Legion's invasion of _Ashenvale_, _Tyrande_ released _Illidan_ from his barrow prison, where he had spent ten thousand years of captivity. Initially he sought to appease his comrades, but soon he reverted to true form and consumed the energies of a powerful warlock artefact known as the Skull of _Gul'dan_ (orc apprentice of _Ner'zhul_, responsible of the Warlocks and Necromancers, killed by the demons unleashed when he raised the Tomb of _Sargeras_ from the sea). By doing so, _Illidan_ developed demonic features and vastly magnified power. He also gained some of _Gul'dan_'s old memories – especially those of the Tomb of _Sargeras_, the island dungeon rumoured to hold the remains of the Dark Titan, _Sargeras_.

Bristling with power and free to roam the world once more, _Illidan_ set out to find his own place in the scheme of things. However, _Kil'jaeden_ confronted _Illidan_ and made him an offer he could not refuse. _Kil'jaeden_ was angered by _Archimonde_'s defeat at Mount _Hyjal_, but he had bigger concerns than vengeance. Sensing that his creation, the Lich King, was growing too powerful to control, _Kil'jaeden_ ordered _Illidan _to destroy _Ner'zhul_ and put an end to the undead Scourge once and for all. In exchange, _Illidan_ would receive untold power and a true place amongst the remaining lords of the Burning Legion.

_Illidan_ agreed and immediately set out to destroy the Frozen Throne, the icy crystal cask in which the Lich King's spirit resided. _Illidan_ knew that he would need a mighty artefact to destroy the Frozen Throne. Using the knowledge he had gained from _Gul'dan_'s memories, _Illidan_ decided to seek out the Tomb of _Sargeras_ and claim the Dark Titan's remains. He called in some old Highborne debts and called the serpentine naga from their dark undersea lairs. Led by the cunning sea-witch, Lady _Vashj_, the naga helped _Illidan_ reach the Broken Isles, where _Sargeras_' tomb was rumoured to be located.

As _Illidan_ set out with the naga, Warden _Maiev Shadowsong_ began to hunt him. _Maiev_ had been _Illidan_'s jailor for ten thousand years and relished the prospect of recapturing him. Nevertheless, _Illidan_ outsmarted _Maiev_ and her Watchers and succeeded in claiming the Eye of _Sargeras_ despite their efforts. With the powerful Eye in his possession, _Illidan_ travelled to the former wizard-city of _Dalaran_. Strengthened by the city's ley power lines, _Illidan_ used the Eye to cast a destructive spell against the Lich King's citadel of _Icecrown_ in distant _Northrend_. _Illidan_'s attack shattered the Lich King's defences and ruptured the very roof of the world. At the final moment, _Illidan_'s destructive spell was stopped when his brother _Malfurion_ and the Priestess _Tyrande_ arrived to aid _Maiev_.

Knowing that _Kil'jaeden_ would not be pleased with his failure to destroy the Frozen Throne, _Illidan_ fled to the barren dimension known as _Outland_: the last remnants of _Draenor_, the orcs' former homeworld floating within the _Twisting Nether_. There he intended to plan his next moves while evading _Kil'jaeden_'s wrath. After they succeeded in stopping _Illidan_, _Tyrande_ and _Malfurion_ returned home to _Ashenvale Forest_ to watch over their people. _Maiev_, however, would not quit so easily, and followed _Illidan_ to _Outland_, determined to bring him to justice.

**Rise of the Blood Elves**

At this time, the undead Scourge had essentially transformed _Lordaeron_ and _Quel'Thalas_ into the toxic _Plaguelands_. There were only a few pockets of Alliance resistance forces left. One such group, consisting primarily of high elves, was led by the last of the Sunstrider dynasty: Prince _Kael'thas_. _Kael_, an accomplished wizard himself, grew wary of the failing Alliance, which treated its elven allies with suspicion and hostility. The high elves grieved for the loss of their homeland and decided to call themselves blood elves in honour of their fallen people. Yet as they worked to keep the Scourge at bay, they suffered considerably at being cut off from the Sunwell that had empowered them. When the Alliance ordered the blood elves to fight against nearly impossible odds, the naga offered assistance that turned the tide of battle. Unfortunately the Alliance learned of _Kael_'s association with the naga and condemned him and his people as traitors. Imprisoned and condemned to death, the blood elves were rescued by Lady _Vashj_.

With no other place left to go, _Kael_ and his blood elves followed Lady _Vashj_ to Outland. Together they sought out Warden _Maiev Shadowsong_, who had recaptured _Illidan_. It was only a matter of time until the combined naga and blood elf forces managed to defeat her and free _Illidan_ from her grasp. According to _Illidan_, there was no cure for the blood elves' racial addiction to magic. _Illidan_ had a different proposal in mind: in return for the blood elves' loyalty, he would grant them all the magic they could desire. It was an offer _Kael_ had to accept: he was certain his people would die without either a cure or a new source of magic.

_Kael _embraced his people's Highborne ancestry and joined the naga. Based in Outland, _Illidan_ gathered his redoubled forces for a second strike against the Lich King and his fortress of _Icecrown_.

**Civil War in the **_**Plaguelands**_

_Ner'zhul_, the Lich King, knew that his time was short. Imprisoned within the Frozen Throne, he suspected that _Kil'jaeden_ would send his agents to destroy him. The damage caused by _Illidan_'s spell had ruptured the Frozen Throne, and the Lich King was losing his power daily. Desperate to save himself, he called out to his greatest mortal servant: the death knight who now called himself King _Arthas_.

Meanwhile, _Arthas_ had become embroiled in a civil war in _Lordaeron_. Half of the standing undead forces, led by the banshee _Sylvanas Windrunner_, staged a coup for control over the undead empire. As the Lich King's strength waned, so too did _Arthas_' powers. Alerted to the Lich King's peril, _Arthas_ struck out for the north and left the Scourge in the hands of his lieutenant, _Kel'Thuzad_, as the war escalated throughout the _Plaguelands_.

Ultimately _Sylvanas_ and her rebel undead (known as the Forsaken) claimed the ruined capital city of _Lordaeron_ as their own. Constructing their own bastion, far beneath the wrecked city, the Forsaken vowed to defeat the Scourge and drive _Kel'Thuzad_ and his minions from the land.

Weakened, but determined to save his master, _Arthas_ reached _Northrend_ only to find _Illidan_'s naga and blood elves waiting for him. _Arthas_ and his nerubian allies raced against _Illidan_'s forces to reach the _Icecrown Glacier_ and defend the Frozen Throne.

**The Lich King Triumphant**

Even weakened as he was, _Arthas_ outmanoeuvred _Illidan_ and reached the Frozen Throne first. Using his runeblade, _Frostmourne_, Arthas shattered the Lich King's icy prison and thereby released _Ner'zhul_'s enchanted helm and breastplate.

_Arthas_ placed the unimaginably powerful helm on his head, and _Ner'zhul_ and _Arthas_' spirits fused into a single mighty being, as _Ner'zhul_ had planned all along. _Illidan_ and his troops were forced to flee back to _Outland_ in disgrace, and _Arthas_ became one of the most powerful entities the world has ever known.

Currently _Arthas_, the new and immortal Lich King, resides in _Northrend_; he is rumoured to be rebuilding the citadel of _Icecrown_.

His trusted lieutenant, _Kel'Thuzad_, commands the Scourge in the _Plaguelands_. _Sylvanas_ and her rebel Forsaken hold only the _Tirisfal Glades_, a small portion of the war-torn kingdom.

**Old Hatreds –**** The Colonization of **_**Kalimdor**_

Though victory was theirs, the mortal races found themselves in a world shattered by war. The Scourge and the Burning Legion had all but destroyed _Lordaeron_, and had almost finished the job in _Kalimdor_. There were forests to heal, grudges to bury, and homelands to settle. The war had wounded each race deeply, but they had selflessly banded together to attempt a new beginning, starting with the uneasy truce between the Alliance and Horde. _Thrall_ led the orcs to the continent of _Kalimdor_, where they founded a new homeland with the help of their tauren brethren. Naming their new land _Durotar_ after Thrall's murdered father, the orcs settled down to rebuild their once-glorious society. Now that the demon curse was ended, the Horde changed from a warlike juggernaut into more of a loose coalition, dedicated to survival and prosperity rather than conquest. Aided by the noble tauren and the cunning trolls of the Darkspear tribe, Thrall and his orcs looked forward to a new era of peace in their own land.

The remaining Alliance forces under _Jaina Proudmoore_ settled in southern _Kalimdor_. Off the eastern coast of _Dustwallow Marsh_, they built the rugged port city of _Theramore_. There, the humans and their dwarven allies worked to survive in a land that would always be hostile to them. Though the defenders of _Durotar_ and _Theramore _kept the tentative truce with one another, the fragile colonial serenity was not meant to last.

The peace between the orcs and humans was shattered by the arrival of a massive Alliance fleet in _Kalimdor_. The mighty fleet, under the command of Grand Admiral _Daelin Proudmoore_ (_Jaina_'s father), had left _Lordaeron_ before _Arthas_ destroyed the kingdom. Having sailed for many gruelling months, Admiral _Proudmoore_ was searching for any Alliance survivors he could find.

_Proudmoore_'s armada posed a serious threat to the stability of the region. As a renowned hero of the Second War, _Jaina_'s father was a staunch enemy of the Horde, and he was determined to destroy _Durotar_ before the orcs could gain a foothold in the land.

The Grand Admiral forced _Jaina_ to make a terrible decision: support him in battle against the orcs and betray her newfound allies, or fight her own father to maintain the fragile peace that the Alliance and the Horde had finally attained.

After much soul-searching, _Jaina_ chose the latter and helped _Thrall_ defeat her crazed father. Unfortunately Admiral _Proudmoore_ died in battle before _Jaina_ could reconcile with him or prove that orcs were no longer bloodthirsty monsters. For her loyalty, the orcs allowed _Jaina_'s forces to return home safely to _Theramore_.

--

And through all this, _Elune_ continued to observe and help _Azeroth_.

The _Kaldorei_ (who would spawn the whole elf races) venerated _Elune_, the moon goddess, even before they discovered the Well of Eternity ten thousand years ago. They revered her fellow Ancients, honouring them highly, but reserved their true adoration for the Lady they believed slept within the Well of Eternity during the daylight hours.

She has earned the right to be called a goddess, as she is the most powerful of _Azeroth_'s Ancients Beings. She lives in the _Emerald Dream_ (a world which is the mirror image of _Azeroth_ minus all the corruption and the mark of any civilization, a nature paradise) and she has protected the world throughout the ages, guiding her children and calming violence. She refuses to raise her hand in anger, and fights her battles by using her magic to force all around her to lay down their arms.

Her power was formidable, and she guided all races well until arcane magic tainted the world and brought the Burning Legion to the land. She watched in horror as arcane magic perverted her children and allowed demons to nearly destroy the world that she had nurtured. After the war, she helped to heal the land, working with the night elves in seclusion to protect the forests. Her work was destroyed again with the coming of the Horde and the return of the Burning Legion, and no one knows if she will attempt to help _Azeroth_ a second time.

Night elves revere her unconditionally, and other races are beginning to recognize her as the one power that could bring peace to the world. Races such as the furbolgs and even the tauren respect her power even if they follow other paths of faith. Some Alliance races are joining the night elves to follow the path of _Elune_, seeing that she is the path to peace.

Unfortunately, the Goddess realized at the beginning of the New Age that she couldn't protect and heal her beloved world by herself. Even the Heroes of each race seemed to do little but to slow the advance of the Burning Legion. It was then that she felt something happening within the _Twisting Nether_.

--

The _Twisting Nether_ surrounds all the layer of Creation which held _Azeroth_, though it remains invisible and unknowable. It is a realm of chaos, where coloured, misty clouds and bright streamers mingle into a muted form that teases mortal minds. Innumerable worlds, including _Azeroth_, exist within the _Twisting Nether_, and many speculate that its protean energies are the stuff that creates existence within this level of Reality. Arcane currents are strong in the _Nether_, for it is arcane magic's birthplace.

Demons have their genesis in the _Twisting Nether_. They alone control its secrets and master its energies, using it as weapon, armour and cloak. They fly through its madness, invading planes and whispering dark things to mortals on countless worlds. Some say that the Titans, responsible of the shaping of _Azeroth_ and most of this part of Creation, also live in the

_Twisting Nether_, but if this is true they seem content to let the Legion run wild. Other creatures, made of energy and lunacy, also stem from the _Nether_'s winds.

Within the _Twisting Nether_ is _Outland_, the shattered remains of the orcs' original world. _Outland _is important to the Burning Legion because, shortly before _Draenor_'s destruction, the orc shaman _Ner'zhul_ constructed several Dark Portals to other worlds. The demons use these portals to invade other planets and fight their eternal war.

But, in their greed and thirst for power and magic, the demons touched a plane that they shouldn't have…

Something in the Great Dark Beyond…

--

Notes: As incredible as it seems, I do not have nor ever played World of Warcraft. I have only access to the various guides and I have the RPG created after the game.

I can only call on your indulgence if you read some flagrant errors. Any reviews in that sense are welcome.


	2. A Strange Newbie

World of War in War

**World of War in War.**

Disclaimer: I own nothing except Baran Sunheart and the concept of the Guardians of Dimensions. Shade Moonblood is the exclusive property of my sister and used with her permission.

Notes: As I read more and more about WoW online and its RPG twin, I begin to understand the difficulty of my task. As I said before, I don't have WoW online, so of course reading about what one can do in the video game and using the D20 RPG as basis for my story present an interesting challenge.

Many fans of WoW wouldn't recognize how their game has been adapted on another support. Oh well, I love a challenge… (No, I'm not Ranma… I assure you…)

And yes, Baran is going to be powerful by introducing something unknown in Azeroth: Psionic powers.

**Chap 1: A S****trange Newbie**

_Gormoroth_ was smiling.

The powerful Major Demon had been selected by _Kil'jaeden_ from the ranks of the Burning Legion to be the first one to enter another world. Another conquest for the evil magic-consuming society.

This particular Dark Portal was floating among swirling debris somewhere in the _Twisting Nether_ and more precisely well hidden within some of the smaller debris of the shattered world of _Draenor_: What was now known as _Outland_.

_Kil'jaeden_, also known as the Deceiver, smirked as he watched his minion activating the portal. Earlier probes had revealed a realm with low-level magic and high-level technology beyond the threshold. An entire world that would fall easily to the skilful manipulations of his peers and to their powers. Especially since it seemed containing only humans.

He chuckled. The human race was so easily manipulated by a few whispers of powers, a few scraps of forbidden knowledge. The actual problem of the plane of _Azeroth_ was but a little bump for them.

Sooner or later, one of his plans WILL succeed and _Azeroth_ WILL fall into oblivion as he and the others gorged themselves with the precious Mana extracted from the very reality of the doomed world.

There! This new world's future was sealed: _Gormoroth_ had passed his clawed hand in the aperture.

--

A young woman with red-brown hair and hazel eyes stopped tapping on the keyboard of her computer and frowned as her senses perceived something… Something fishy…

--

There had been no warning, no signs of anything strange or dangerous.

_Gormoroth_ simply exploded. Literally.

_Kil'jaeden_ was flabbergasted for a fraction of second. Not only did he perceive nothing, but his superior mundane and mystic senses were telling him that nothing remained of his minion except an utterly non-living vague bio-mass.

The power, the mind and the soul of his former Major Demon were…inexistent. There wasn't even a trace of what had caused such a thing.

He snarled as he summoned his might. Spells were cast at the speed of thought, magical probes were launched and even his basic senses stretched to analyze what they could perceive.

Nothing. Nothing at all.

Before _Kil'jaeden_ could take a decision upon this weird situation, the Dark Portal suddenly opened by itself.

An eye. A giant blood-red eye stared through the aperture of the portal.

_Kil'jaeden_ smiled viciously. At least, the one responsible for the delay of his plans was showing himself. He launched the most devastating of his attack at once.

Pointing his clawed hand and uttering words of power, he casted the legendary spell known as the Greater Finger of Death. A ray of Fel energy sprung from his finger and hit the giant eye like a red lightning bolt.

The Eye didn't even blink. However, _Kil'jaeden_ blinked, dismayed that his most powerful spell had been completely ignored without any apparent effort. Almost nothing could have stopped this spell. The target was slain instantly and consumed in unholy Fel fire.

_Kil'jaeden_ sensed a pulse of…something that radiated from the Eye and suddenly the Dark Portal imploded.

The floating debris were sucked into a dark void at the heart of what was a portal and disappeared without traces.

Completely astonished, _Kil'jaeden_ could sense that there wasn't even a tear to the reality layer at this location. It was as if no Dark Portal had been created here. Nothing, to his knowledge, could have done that. Even the Titans of old would have been challenged by the task.

What the hell was going on…?!

--

_Shade Moonblood_ smirked as her infinite power enabled her to observe the frustrated Arch-Demon in another part of the whole Creation without any knowledge from him.

She narrowed her two eyes: One hazel and one blood-red. She nipped in the bud this tentative of invasion of her home reality, but countless others didn't have the chance to have a Guardian of Dimensions to protect them.

Her total mastery over the Void, her own personal power among the Guardians, had allowed her to block any future actions, direct or indirect, from this _Kil'jaeden_ to open or make opening a portal to her world.

She frowned. She had analyzed the other world during her action and wasn't surprised to discover that a game online of her own world was the almost exact representation of this other dimension.

She was greatly tempted to intervene in the "World of Warcraft", as the plane of _Azeroth_ was known to her, because of the suffering of countless people in too many worlds.

The problem was her own lunar nature. Her last name had much more signification than one would think. The power of the Moon was already represented in _Azeroth_ by the Goddess _Elune_. Entering this world would provoke an unbalance, something that was forbidden for a Guardian.

She shrugged. She would just have to choose another Guardian of Dimensions to take her place. Now, who should she select…?

She smirked. Oh, yes… She had the perfect candidate for this mission. She even knew that he had only passing knowledge about _Azeroth_, so knowing too much wasn't an issue. She giggled and raised her hands, summoning anew her mighty power.

--

Many saw the falling star as it passed through the night sky. It wasn't the first time and too few thought about this, except perhaps as a source of Meteoric Iron. However, numerous children made a wish upon this particular star and generally wished that their future shone brighter.

--

There was a relatively small explosion within the deep of _Northshire Valley_ in the _Elwynn Forest_ as a falling star hit the ground.

Small fires erupted around the impact point, but the humidity of the early spring season smothered rapidly the potential danger. As the night progressed and the moon passed the zenith, a small rain fell on the clearing, generating steam as the fused earth was cooled.

At the centre of a small crater, an ectoplasmic cocoon was glowing lightly with a blue-white pulse. Then as the moon passed and a pale light signalled the dawn, the cocoon began to loose its consistency.

The first rays of the sun made it completely disappeared and revealed what was protected within it.

He was a young man, just under his twenties, with shoulder-length black hair combed in a low ponytail and Caucasian skin. He was average in built and height with glasses. He was clothed in a strange Gi-like silk shirt and drawstring pants in a dark blue colour with a black trim. His feet were enclosed in leather black soft low boots and a black silk sash completed his appearance.

He seemed asleep and was breathing regularly. Then the combination of the light and the songs of the morning birds awoke him.

--

_Baran Sunheart_ blinked and covered her face as the rays of the Sun touched his eyes. He grumbled and turned on his side on the glassed ground.

His green eyes blinked again as he remarked that he was sleeping on a fused ground depression and was no longer in his bed at home.

He sat up and examined the area. "What the hell…?"

Well, he was no longer at home, or even in his home universe. He examined himself and held a crooked smile as he detailed his new clothes. He had no weapon and no knowledge of wherever he was, but found his current clothing perfect.

He sighed in relief as he noted that he was currently in the body of an Avatar: A fantasized and upgraded version of his original body. He was younger, minus a few weaknesses and imperfections, more powerful physically and could probably count on a few hidden features. He was perplexed to have retained his glasses and his bad vision and was a little apprehensive at the absence of any type of weapon despite the presence of his infinite Dimensional Pocket. He checked and whined in dismay as it was currently empty.

He breathed deeply and let his senses tasted the environment around him. He could already perceive that the level of magic was rather high here and probably up to a standard Heroic-Fantasy reality.

However, he couldn't perceive the characteristic spark of power within his soul that marked those able to use magic. He frowned and reached deeply in himself to perceive his potential.

Well, what a surprise. It had been a while since he had such a high level of Psionic potential. He could also perceive that his Ki-levels were higher than the normal and he shouldn't have too much difficulty to develop them in the future.

He blushed then laughed as his stomach signalled that it was time to nourish the beast.

He exited the impact crater, closed his eyes and listened to the sounds of Nature. He smiled when he perceived the gentle song of a brook nearby.

As he walked to the source of running water, he thought about his situation. Once again, a world was in need of a Guardian.

Somewhere in this dimension, there was something that only a complete outsider could resolve. It wasn't the first time that he was without his standard allotment of powers or even without the famous "Phantom-Memories". Those sets of emotions and memories were the best instrument to integrate a Guardian within a world with everything he needed for his mission. He concluded that he was in a world he knew about or where it was easy to learn what was needed.

--

The water was completely unpolluted and very fresh. _Baran_ basked into the sensation of such pure water. Nowhere in his original world could he do something like that. Kneeling, he cupped again some water to quench his thirst.

Oops… He wasn't the only one thirsty here. He blinked as he saw the wolf lapping into the brook just in front of him.

The grey beast and the white man observed themselves a few moments separated by the rather little stream of water. _Baran_ sighed. Of course, the wolf was also as hungry as him. Damned _Murphy_…

As he saw the predator preparing to leap at him, _Baran_ readied one of his weapons: Her right hand seemed to curl around a non-existing handle.

The wolf charged across the brook, impatient to gorge himself with the delicate flesh of its prey.

_Baran_ focused on his inner power and a two foot length blade made of semi-solid blue-white psychic energy materialized in his right hand. Staying firmly kneeling with one knee on the ground, he slashed at the throat of the beast before rolling on the side and turning to face the wolf.

The predator seemed to wheeze in confusion as he turned to continue its attack before he fell on the ground. Its life had fled along with its life-blood by the wound at its neck.

_Baran_ smiled as he considered his first kill in this world. He had summoned without effort his Psi-Blade. It was the Psionic equivalent of a Jedi Lightsaber. It was shorter now only because he needed to develop his power.

He looked around to see if this wolf wasn't alone and smiled as he saw at a distance a dirt road among the forest.

There weren't many clues on the road, so _Baran_ decided to follow his instinct and took the Northeast direction. A panel indicating a direction achieved to make him happy. Although written in a different alphabet than his native tongue, _Baran_ could read it. His Universal Translator power was active and he shouldn't have any problems when he reached this "_Northshire Abbey_".

--

Notes: The use of the Guardian of Dimensions was just the pretext for sending my Avatar to WoW. And yes, my sister has this sort of sense of humour.

Yes, the dark blue colour of his clothes is a reference to the dark blue robe exclusive to the GM-controlled characters in the online game.

I intent to explore the whole world of Warcraft and probably save it at the same time. (No, I'm not Ultra-Powerful… I swear…)

I think I'm going to use the various quests of the online game as a support. After all I need to build a good reputation with as many people as I can, right?

Of course, if a fan wants to give me advices or suggestions, do it. The only problem is that only the review system work. I have no E-mail for now.


	3. First Quests in Azeroth

World of War in War

**World of War in War.**

Disclaimer: I own nothing except Baran Sunheart.

Notes: I finally resolved my problems with my email, you can write to me without any difficulty.

It should be noted that I intended to not use magic, Arcane or Divine, for my character. He will use his guts, wits and his Psionic powers.

After much reflection, I'm going to use anime characters popping in this story. They won't be the original ones, but rather their Azeroth counterparts. I'm doing this to spice a little the picture of the story.

One final note, I have officially join the club of "No-Life". I have bought "World of Warcraft". So far, I have only two characters. One human male paladin called Karigan and one Blood Elf female mage named Lufeng. Of course, I am on a French server called "Kirin Tor".

**Chap 2: First Quests in Azeroth.**

The abbey was a fortified monastery, typical of medieval settings. The flag of the country represented a golden lion-head on a blue sky background. There were an anvil upside and crossed arrows set on two gears downside. A hippogryph and a gryphon flanked the design.

There were also some armed soldiers in blue and gold and what could only be people of Faith, farmers, loggers and miners were working in the area. The Guardian of Dimensions noted that they were mainly humans of Caucasian appearance, but also some elves and dwarves. The funny thing was that the elves looked like almost like the elves of Lodoss with their long ears. The only difference was their luminous eyes, a feature that was hauntingly familiar. Apart from the strange cut of his clothes, Baran Sunheart thought he shouldn't have any difficulty to blend in. Unless they asked pointy questions on geography and history.

Since we were in the early spring, much of the work was to repair the damages made during winter. Plenty of work for someone who hadn't any money and wasn't afraid to take a direct hand.

He looked around and walked to a tall man that seemed to be an officer of sort.

"Excuse me, sir? My name is Baran Sunheart. I am currently unemployed and without money. I was wondering if I could find some work to do in the area. At least enough to pay for something to eat and perhaps a corner to sleep tonight. Can you help me, please?"

The Deputy Willem smiled. Here was a polite young one. Too many times, he had encountered arrogant adventurers who thought they were the new heroes of the Alliance…before they finished with a blade between the shoulders or in the stomach of a beast. Speaking of blade…

"I hope you strapped your belt on tight, young man, because there is work to do here in Northshire. And I don't mean farming." He paused and ostensibly stared at the sash of Baran. "Although, it seems that you are also without weapon. We should perhaps refer you to the priests to see what they can do for you."

Baran waved away the concerns of the man. "Don't worry. I know how to defend myself. On the way here, I was forced to deal with a wolf intending to make me its diner. Its cadaver is now nourishing the worms."

Willem nodded. The young had spoken without arrogance. The wolf kill was mere information and not a boast. "Good. The Stormwind guards are hard pressed to keep the peace here, with so many of us in distant lands and so many threats pressing close. And so we're enlisting the aid of anyone willing to defend their home." He looked up to the flag. "And the Alliance. If you're here to answer the call, then speak with my superior, Marshal McBride." He waved to the building behind him. "He's inside the abbey behind me."

Baran nodded. He already had some information. He was currently in a realm at war and the flag seemed to be the one of a group of allied races calling themselves "the Alliance". "Thank you, sir. I will."

"Oh, yeah! I forgot. Call me Willem. Deputy Willem if you must and not sir." He grinned. "I work for a living."

Baran entered the church-like building. It was nicely furnished and he listened to the people as he searched for the Marshal. The religion seemed to be a simple one called "the Holy Light" that encouraged people to seek the "Good Side" of themselves and the others. Funny, he could almost compare it to the Force of the Star Wars universe.

He finally found the Marshal, a powerfully built and moustached man, as he wrote something while examining some crates.

"Excuse me? Marshal McBride…? Good morning, sir. My name is Baran Sunheart and your deputy has recommended that I talk to you regarding jobs around."

Inquisitive grey eyes gazed at the young Guardian and a small smile hid under his moustache. "Ah, good. Another volunteer. We're getting a lot of you these days." He paused as he stroked his moustache. "I hope it's enough." He shook his head and extended his hand for a vigorous handshake. Baran managed to not wince at the pressure.

Marshal McBride finished his inspections of the latest deliveries then signed the young man to follow him. The young one seemed to be a scholar of sort with his curious glasses on his nose. Gnomish trinket probably. He didn't have the bulk of a warrior or the litheness of someone more preoccupied with the Arcane art. His clothes were made of richly coloured silk, so he must have some money in the past. Perhaps the son of a noble wanting to make his ancestors proud. A newbie, but one of his duties was to form such young men into refined weapons.

He stopped at a balcony and gazed silently at the landscape. One good point for this Baran Sunheart, he had learnt patience. "The lands around here are threatened from outside, and so many of our forces have been marshalled abroad. This, in turn, leaves room for corrupt and lawless groups to thrive within our borders." He turned to the young man and could see only serious interest in the green eyes. Good. "It is a many-fronted battle we wage, Baran. Gird yourself for a long campaign as long as you stay here."

'_Fantastic. I'm in for so much fun. Thank you, sister. Note to self: Find an "appropriate" gift for my "dear little sister"._' "I will do my best, sir."

Marshal McBride didn't have long to think about an appropriate mission to bloodied his newest volunteer. Despite the frequent patrols, there have been many rumours about something behind the Abbey.

He nodded to himself. It would also be an excellent test for a newbie. "Your first task is one of cleansing, Baran. A clan of kobolds have infested the woods to the north. Go there and fight the kobold vermin you find. Reduce their numbers so that we may one day drive them from Northshire."

Baran smiled. Kobolds? He had fought against some in the past. Low level monsters, but dangerous in numbers. "Will do, sir!" Baran turned around, intending to begin his first mission when his stomach grumbled about the lack of food.

He blushed as he heard the chuckle of Marshal McBride. He sheepishly looked at the man while scratching the back of his head. "Hum… Could I grab a little something before going? I didn't eat since yesterday."

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Dodging the teasing from the soldiers and the jokes from the priests, Baran managed to scrape a piece of bread with some cheese before rushing to the north wood.

After letting behind the sounds of civilization, Baran began to walk with all his senses on alert, searching for his target.

In general his Psionic abilities could be broken in six main disciplines: Clairsentience which focused on precognitive powers and allowed to gather information in many different ways. His famous sixth sense which had helped him so many times in the past was issued from this discipline. Metacreativity which drew ectoplasm or matter from the Astral Layer and shaped it into various forms. Psychokinesis which enabled to manipulate and transform matter and energy. Psychometabolism which could alter your own psychobiology or that of creatures nearby. Psychoportation that could propel or displace objects in time and space. And finally Telepathy which could allow mental contact and control of other sentient creatures. Even his Psi-Blade was a result of a blend of those main disciplines.

Although limited in range and scope because his power hadn't been harnessed for long in this world, Baran knew that he could detect the kobolds long before they sensed him.

Of course, that implied they didn't hear his fights with some hungry wolves along the way…

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Baran smiled as he observed the small camp from a distance and under the wind. The wiry creatures bear as much of a resemblance to a rat as they did to a humanoid. They stood short of four feet tall and moved with a rapid, hunched gait. Although they were in group and protected from the light by the cover of the trees, their nervousness was evident in their large, rodent-like eyes darting here and there. One thing he also remembered about kobolds was their sense of smell. A dozen of those creatures were camping in a small clearing. Some rocks gave some cover and enabled them to make a smokeless fire.

He achieved to bind his small wounds from his fights against the wolves as he searched for those kobolds. It was nothing and already his enhanced metabolism was closing the scrapes and cuts.

He stopped and blinked as a psyche saturated with despair drifted in his zone of perception. His green eyes widened as he noted something new in the camp.

It was a barefoot young human girl as tall as her captors with dirty long black hair, of six-eight years old, clothed in a filthy rag that was perhaps a coloured dress some time ago. She was holding a bundle of twigs and was roughly led by a kobold. His eyes narrowed as he noticed the leash and the leather collar around the dirty slender neck and her muddy and badly bruised face.

This changed everything. He had a plan to take care of those kobolds in small groups or one by one. The presence of a potential hostage required a radical alteration. Baran was tempted to go back for some help, but the blank white face of the child with the tracks of her tears tugged at his heart.

He smiled evilly as he slowly climbed down. Those kobolds were so dead.

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The kobold guarding the entry of the temporary small camp blinked in confusion. Their newly "acquired" slave was walking toward him and yet, he could have swear that he had seen her just a few moments ago on the other side of the camp.

Grumbling, he reached for her and intended to teach her another lesson. It seemed that she needed another "breaking in" session to tame her. He blinked as he felt the strange cold and slimy sensation of her flesh.

The Astral Construct shaped in the image of the young human girl and designed for speed followed the mental commands of its creator and ripped off the head of the bewildered monster with its superior strength. It then ran to attack the other kobolds, unmindful of its survival since it wasn't sentient and couldn't feel pain.

Baran was already in position behind the clearing, undetected since he used his mastery of Psychometabolism to change his overall colour to match his surrounding.

His psyche reached for his target: The kobold, guarding the young girl as she tended a fire, collapsed as a Mind Thrust transformed his brain into a cooked hamburger.

The Psionic warrior leapt from his hiding place and caught the girl in his arms, his right hand over her mouth. He whispered rapidly to her ear. "Shhh… I'm human. I'm here to rescue you. Do not struggle I'm taking you to safety."

She turned her head and big brown eyes widened as they plunged into green eyes. Amazingly, Baran could already sense the calming of the emotions of the young child and her acceptance of her rescuer. Nodding briefly and smiling, Baran focused his psionic energy to his muscles and leapt away in the trees like a hyper-active ninja.

He quickly arrived in the small nook high in another tree he had prepared for hiding the girl and proceeded to camouflage the spot by using ectoplasm shaped and coloured to match the bark of the tree. He smiled one last time to her. "Stay here and do not move no matter what happens or what you hear." His voice gained a little hardness. "I'll deal with those monsters and come back for you. It's a promise."

Baran rushed back to the kobold camp, unmindful to cloak himself as he needed to vent his righteous anger on something. What he red into the brown eyes and his psionic senses had deeply angered him and only the blood of those beasts could appease him.

His construct had managed to halve the population before falling to their attacks. Baran appeared right in front of the snarling survivors and smirked. A two foot-length blade of blue-white psionic energy materialized in his hand and he took the precaution to manifest a psychokinetic set of integral armour around him.

He ran into battle, a warcry on his lips.

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The young girl listened to the sounds of battle in the vicinity and prayed the Holy Light for the safety of her saviour. She had been mesmerized by the warmth into those green eyes and had felt perfectly safe into his arms as he took her into hiding.

She sighed in relief when she heard his voice screaming his victory. A few minutes later, he heard him reaching for her hidden spot and she smiled a gap-toothed smile when the strange camouflage material dissolved to reveal the dark-blue clad warrior.

"It's finished. Come." Without fear, the young girl settled into the arms of Baran and he brought her at the feet of the tree. Baran crouched to her level and examined the child with a critical eye. "My name is Baran…would you like to share my lunch?"

The girl's wide brown eyes lit up, and she nodded enthusiastically. Baran stood up, and held out his hand. "Come on, then…we need to get cleaned up first and there is a stream nearby."

The hand was taken without hesitation, and the girl stared without fear up at the black-haired man, who smiled so kindly at her. Baran took her up to a stream and first gathered wood for a quick fire that he lit with a burst of his power. He then search and found rapidly some plants he knew to be a natural soap and used again his power to shape ectoplasm into a pseudo wool blanket.

The water was damn cold, but a simple application of Matter Agitation brought it to a nice temperature. The girl shed her rags and hopped right in. Baran lathered up her body while checking it for any wounds and bruises. He also scrubbed her hair for her. Whenever he sensed or saw a wound, he applied a glowing hand and soothed the trauma with his psionic energy, mending the flesh.

During all this, the girl witnessed those feats of power without a sound and only her shining brown eyes betrayed her interest and awe. With dread, Baran understood that the overall trauma of her ordeal had provoked a psychic blockage and rendered her mute.

He also blinked for an instant as he suddenly recognized the child: It was Rin! As in Rin, the little Japanese orphan that Lord Sesshomaru had taken as his ward in the Inuyasha series. She was of European build, but due to the conventions in an anime about the form of the eyes and the skin colour, Baran could easily identify her. What the hell was going on? He certainly wasn't in an Inuyasha universe and he didn't sense any Youkai in vicinity, so why Rin was here?

When she was all clean, Baran dried her off and dressed her in the warm woollen blanket. He then washed her dress and used anew his mastery over ectoplasm matter to repair it, and brought it back up to dry over the fire.

Warm, her pain taken away and feeling safe, Rin, since it was truly her, watched with widening eyes as her saviour extracted from nothing a pan and filled it with some animal grease, wild vegetables and meat sausages. He also watched the man prepared a pot of hot water with some dry herbs to infuse in and poured her a cup with honey as sweet. The whole feast was deposited in front of her with a wooden spoon. She stared from the food to the smiling man and half-starved from her slavery among the kobolds began to shovel the food with scarcely a moment for breath.

Baran had taken the time to take everything of any value in the camp of those monsters. He had also used his psychokinesis to manipulate their corpses for anything of value and their crude weapons and used an application of Psychoportation to eliminate all traces of dirt and germs from the food and tools. After all he needed to replenish his Dimensional Pocket.

Unfortunately, now was the time to ask for some questions. Baran dreaded the probable answers to his questions. "Little one, are you alone, without anyone to care for you?"

The expressive brown eyes gazed to him with deep sadness and the small head bobbed once. Baran started to ask another question but stopped and shook his head. "I'm doing this the wrong way."

He looked into her eyes. "Little one, do you trust me?" The head nodded with enthusiasm and Baran winced internally at the adoration he red within Rin. He hoped he never betrayed such deep admiration. "Alright, listen. I can speak with you within your mind and hear anything you think to me. Would you like to try it?"

Once again Rin bobbed her head without hesitation, although Baran could sense some confusion in her. Sighing, he nonetheless reached for her mind with his telepathic powers.

"_This was what I meant by speaking within your mind._"

The brown eyes widened, but her answer came back clearly. "_Master…Baran…_" Her mental voice was wispy and faint as if the fact she didn't use her physical voice for a long time had influenced her indirectly.

Baran managed to hide his dismay by hearing a little girl calling him "Master". He knew that medieval people didn't hold the same importance and signification of that word like a modern person, but nonetheless…

He took a gentle tone and continued the conversation. "_What is your name, little one?_"

"_Rin._" Well that confirmed what he suspected. He didn't know why, but his instincts were telling him that he was doomed to meet other people who should be virtual twins from various anime.

The deep and warm brown eyes called for a decision and Baran chose it willingly, acknowledging his responsibilities. "_I will look after you from now on. Understood?_"

A very faint, but definitely warm smile was his response. "_Yes…Master Baran…Rin understands._"

He took the dry dress and tenderly clothed the little girl that strongly reminded him from the time when he took care of his younger siblings when they were small. He wrapped her again in the blanket and took her in his arms. "_Let us depart._"

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The Marshal McBride had been surprised by the prompt actions of his newest recruit. He had also been agreeably surprised when Baran Sunheart returned with a little girl in his arms.

After a few questions and with the help of the strange magic that the young man mastered, the Marshal had established that the young girl was truly an orphan. Her parents came from the devastated West and had been killed by the kobolds when they tried to reach Stormwind. Baran had managed to bring her back the small gold bracelet that was the property of her late mother and avenged the slaughter of her family.

He smiled as the young man also brought back a weapon for him: A masterwork quality quarterstaff, that, according to Baran, the kobolds were using as… a fire stake. Now washed, polished and oiled, it revealed its true and deadly nature to everyone. The fire seemed to have only strengthened it.

The Marshal put the last lines on the parchment in front of him and sealed it with the Alliance seal. "There! It is done." He looked into the serious green eyes. "Are you sure you want to adopt her? We have many fine associations back in Stormwind. They won't have any trouble to take care of the little one."

Baran Shook his head. "No. Rin is my responsibility and I will take great care of her." He smiled. I just need you to look after her during my ventures around the Abbey. Once I have enough money, I shall transfer in Stormwind to give her a proper education."

McBride nodded. "Well, you're determined and it's true you can easily gain a living by helping the Alliance around here." He frowned and looked seriously to the young man. "Be sure to come back for her. I'm not sure she could go on living should you disappear."

"I will."

"Well, anyway. I must say well done, citizen. Those kobolds are thieves and cowards, but as you have seen in large numbers they pose a threat to us." His eyes narrowed. "And the humans of Stormwind do not need another threat. For defeating them, you have my gratitude and this." He threw a small purse to Baran that jingled with coins. "And speaking of providing her everything she needs, go see our Master Hunter Eagan Peltskinner. I think he can help you."

Baran raised an eyebrow "Oh?"

McBride nodded. "Eagan Peltskinner is looking for someone to hunt wolves for him. That's good news, because we're seeing a lot more wolves in Northshire Valley lately. If you're interested then speak with Eagan. He's around the side of the abbey, to the left."

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During the week that followed, Baran began to build a routine. He worked with hunter Eagan Peltskinner to bring back Timber Wolves that he killed in the forest around the Abbey. With the help of the rough hunter, he learnt how to make nice pelts and how to cook the meat from those beasts.

The rest of his time was consecrated to his newly adopted daughter. He couldn't make her stop to refer to him as "Master Baran" but he began to give her an education and slowly but surely broke through her trauma with the help of his powers and his heart.

Rin simply genuinely loved him and he gratefully returned it. The first time she managed to voice his name instead of using their mental link had brought tears to his eyes. In fact, Rin preferred this silent method of communication. Even with the people in and around the Abbey, she was a person of few words when she began to speak. She preferred actions and gestures with the non-telepaths and her warm smile soothed any resentment at her silent way.

Baran had used his psionic powers to manipulate some pelts to make her some nice fur-lined clothes and even a little doll shaped as a cartoon-like and cute wolf.

In fact, Eagan was so enthusiasm about his help that he rewarded him with a brand new and solid pair of Wolfskin Bracers. Since Baran favoured a style of combat without much armour, that was fine to him.

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After two weeks since his arrival, Baran was summoned in the office of Marshal McBride. The stout man seemed worried about something and didn't lose time. "Baran, my scouts tell me that the kobold infestation that you already know about is larger than we had thought. A group of kobold workers has camped near the Echo Ridge Mine to the north." He looked straight into the green eyes. "You have proved that you could be both efficient and discreet by yourself. Go to the mine and remove them. We know there are at least a dozen of them. Kill them, see if there are more and then report back to me."

Rin wasn't happy that Baran was going away without her. After a time, Baran had enough experience and power to bring her during his hunt and protect her efficiently. But she understood that it was different and she was a very obedient girl.

Well, many would have say that Baran was completely wrapped around her pinkie, but the little girl was very intelligent and knew her limits. So she waved away at her protector after he gently kissed her on the forehead.

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Reaching the mine didn't pose any particular problem to the Psionic Warrior. However, a nasty surprise awaited him on site.

Baran swore internally as he spied on the kobolds under the camouflage cloak of his powers. There were simply more than a dozen of kobolds within the mine. The ten or so outside the shaft were merely the sentinels.

In fact, it plainly looked like as if the kobolds were formally exploiting the mine. But for whom and for what. The situation called for some fancy footing and reporting to McBride would only give the kobolds more time to accomplish whatever they were doing.

Baran nibbled his lower lip and then raised an eyebrow as he looked closely the entrance shaft. The mine showed signs of his abandonment by the humans long ago and the kobolds had only crudely reinforced the shaft. He smirked: He had found the solution to isolate the kobolds outside from those within.

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It was a simple mouse and the sentinels that actually saw it dismissed it as inconsequent except perhaps for a snack later. The Astral Construct reached the overture as its instructions bid him and exploded with the strength of a modern grenade.

Shocked, the sentinels all turned to the blocked entrance and began to scream their confusions around. Baran rushed to them, skating on a frictionless path created with his powers, his glowing Mind Blade ready to be used.

The surprise was total and deadly. Baran began to hack into the confused mass of the monsters with the ease of a hot knife cutting through butter. Once he had finished his enemies, he stripped them of anything of value and started the second phase of his plan.

Baran waited for the miners to pierce through the rubble, hidden under his chameleon cloak just above the entrance. Once they began to emerge, he waited for them to be alert for attackers since the corpses of their comrades proved that some humans were nearby.

Baran didn't know the infamous Neko-Ken, but his Psychometabolism and Clairsentience disciplines could give him a piece of this lethal technique. His fingers grew claws that he empowered and coated with a mild poison. Mild for a big and stout man that is. Against those creatures, it was potentially lethal.

He focused on all of them and blasted with a mind attack that dazed and stunned them. He rushed through their ranks and slashed as he passed. Most of the kobolds screamed in pain and felt on the ground as the poison coursed through their veins.

After some minutes of a one-sided combat, Baran brought his breath back to normal when the last kobolds ran back to the mine. He couldn't let the initiative back to those beasts and called anew for his power to grant him a low-light vision. The Warrior from another world entered the mine shaft.

High-pitched screams and various sounds of battle echoed from within the mine and after an hour, it was finally silent.

Baran emerged from the shaft covered in bruises, cuts and various wounds. He deeply thanked his powers of Psychokinesis that blocked or deflected so many attacks within those tunnels. The use of his so-called "Psycho-Nekoken" had proved deadly in those restrained close-quarters. He also certainly had brought back some hard-won rewards: A nice ivory comb that he reserved for Rin, money, a few semi-precious gems, some antitoxins and the jackpot was a few potions of Light Healing.

He smiled as he remembered how jealous some people of the Abbey were about his always perfect silken clothes. He laughed as he used his powers to mend the cuts and tears of his clothes. Well since they took him for an Arcanist with some cool spells, he could hardly disappoint them now, couldn't he?

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The Marshal wasn't very happy about the dangerous initiative that Baran took during his mission. After all, he specifically ordered him to report first. However…

"I don't like hearing of all these kobolds in our mine or about your reckless attitude. But I can understand why you took that decision… In fact… I would have done the same. Once again, you have earned my respect, and the gratitude of the Stormwind Army. There may yet be kobolds in the mine, but I will marshal others against them. We have further tasks for you.

No good can come of this. Here, take this as payment, and go see your daughter. She has called for you all the day.

As he watched Rin beaming as she admired the fine comb in her dark black hair in a mirror, Baran buckled his new leather belt wearing the symbol of the Alliance.

Another week passed and Baran acquired new experience over his mastery of his psionic powers as he battled the kobolds that proved to be more numerous and were indeed occupying some other mines in the region. As he battled the monsters, his reputation grew and Marshal McBride knew he had found a fine pearl. In fact, the Abbey couldn't continue to serve as a base for the young man. He needed a bigger environment to shine truly. Beside, his daughter would gain in comfort and possibilities.

In that regard, he prepared some papers and called anew the young warrior. "Baran Sunheart, you are a fine protector with proven interest in the security of Northshire. You are now tasked with the protection of the surrounding Elwynn Forest." Baran blinked. "If you accept this duty, then I have prepared papers that must be delivered to Marshal Dughan in Goldshire. Goldshire lies along the southern road, past the border gates. The town will prove to be more defended than our Abbey and you can provide more for your young charge. So, are you interested?"

"Of course I am, Marshal!" '_Finally, a way to learn more about this world. I still don't know where I am and I'm sure that I know about this dimension._'

"Then here there are and good luck to you and your daughter. Bring Hope and Pride to the Alliance!"

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Rin smiled and giggled as she rode on the shoulders of her master. The sun was shining and the unfortunate wolves and big spiders they met were easily dealt with by the use of crystalline shards and rays of energy.

After some hours of travel, they finally reached the town of Goldshire. Baran smiled and nodded at the various and numerous men-in-arms posted along the town limits and the protective wall built around it. It was a lively little town at the crossroad of two major ways and commerce boomed. Here, he should easily find what he and his daughter need.

He politely asked a guard for the Marshal and was directed near the main forge. He advised a tall young man harbouring the same symbols as Marshal McBride and went to him.

The young Marshal took into account the strange clothes of the man with the little girl on his shoulders and opened the letter. His eyebrows rose as he red it and a large smile bloomed on his lips. "Well, it says here that you've been awarded Acting Deputy Status with the Stormwind Marshals." Baran was a little flabbergasted as the Marshal extracted a little brooch with the Alliance symbol and put it on his chest. Rin applauded as his saviour was awarded for his past deeds. "Congratulations." Dughan smirked. "And good luck… Keeping Elwynn safe is no picnic... what with most the army busy doing who knows what for who knows which noble!" He shook his head. "It's hard to keep track of politics in these dark days..." He sighed and clapped on the shoulder of the young Psionic Warrior. "I will assign a bedroom for you and your daughter. Don't worry, there are numerous persons already taking care of the children of my men. There shouldn't be any problems. And I will also open the armoury for you to complete your equipment. As long as you are reasonable and take care of your weapons and armours, you should…"

Baran could only nod as he listened to the young Marshal and followed him as he toured the town to point its various places to the newly appointed Acting Deputy.

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Notes: I'm not too sure about using cameos from various anime, but…

Well, the reviews will answer that question.

I hope I did bring out the ambiance of the World of Warcraft without sacrificing too much to the game mechanics.

Don't hesitate to write your suggestions and remarks, thank you.


	4. Pink Hair and Golden Heart

**World of War in War.**

Disclaimer: I own nothing except Baran Sunheart.

Notes: After some experiments, I found that Baran isn't that powerful. He represents a blend of Classes like a Paladin crossed with an Arcanist. His power levels are not superior to another character however he had much more different techniques and can really take on any problems without limitations.

By the way, I fear I'm going to make this story a little harem for Baran…

**Chap 3: Pink Hair and Gold****en Heart**

Rest and Relaxation.

Those two words were the dreams of many tired and sore adventurers in many and many worlds.

Baran Sunheart, Guardian of Dimensions examined the warm and welcoming interior of the Lion's Pride Inn.

The black-haired Psionist nodded to himself. Having Marshal Dughan assigning him one of the big bedrooms in this inn was a very good idea.

He turned his green eyes to his newly adopted daughter and smiled. Rin was a sweet and gentle child and his constant nurturing had banished most of the dark clouds in her soul and spirit that the slaughter of her parents and her consecutive enslavement by kobolds had brought.

Well, sometimes he wandered who was the authority figure and who was the ward. The eight years old girl was obedient, but she had a way of asking him that he just couldn't resist.

For example, she refused to address him with anything but a respectful "Master Baran". She had also refused to sleep in her own bed and was always sleeping beside him, arguing that his bed was bigger than hers and that she preferred it.

Baran had established a friendly relation with the innkeeper Farley. He liked his food and drink and listened to his stories. It was by him that Baran finally learned where he was.

Azeroth.

Baran had been sent by his sister into the World of Warcraft. He sighed again: He had only partial knowledge about this world since he never played the game. At least now he probably knew the reason why a Guardian of Dimension had been sent.

He could be the Burning Legion or the Scourge. Either was a threat and had enough resources to threaten other realities. There were also the Forsaken, the Blood Elves and quantity of potentials problems and enemies.

Baran had really some nice and long work ahead of him. He was almost sure that only a true union between the Alliance and the Horde stood a chance to resist and stop the future menace. A trifle, really…

The young Psychic Warrior had begun to establish a good reputation among the Adventurers Community when he helped the farmer Milly Osworth.

The woman had problems with her harvest of grapes. A gang of brigands, the Defias Brotherhood, moved into the Northshire Vineyards while she was harvesting. Although she reported it to the Northshire guards she was afraid for her crop. If the Defias didn't steal it then she feared that the guards would trample it when they chased away the thugs.

Having beginning to train Rin to help him as well as defend herself, he had the happy surprise to discover some nice psychic potential probably due to the mindlink he had forged with her.

So he hid the little girl in a big tree and used her as a sentinel while he gathered the buckets of grapes from the vineyards.

The Defias thugs had been surprised…deadly surprised. It was amazing what a little Psychokinesis could do with farm tools.

The woman had profusely thanked him and gave him and Rin two identical cloaks to protect them from the weather. But the best reward had been the gossiping around Goldenshire that established him as a helper of the people.

Rin had laughed when she saw that the two cloaks were for an adult build. Baran had winked to her and used his psionist skills to manipulate the matter. Rin had clapped her hands when he presented her a cloak adapted to her height in her preferred orange and yellow colours. He did the same to his own cloak and now harboured a dark blue one that perfectly blend with his clothes and the new dark-coloured Studded Leather Armour that Marshal Dughan gave him.

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Like every morning when he didn't have a job, Baran was consulting the Community Panels where all the works offers were posted. He did a Spock manoeuvre when he advised a Wanted poster like in the Westerns.

He reached for it with his hand when another slender hand grasped the same poster. He turned to the person to his right and his eyes widened in bewilderment.

She was a young woman, a teenager in fact. She had short and ragged pink hair and eyes of the deepest blue. She was clad in a battered sort of military uniform in black, complete with golden shoulder decorations, a short shirt with a petticoat and the symbol of a red rose over her heart. She was armed with a slender jewelled sword and it was Utena.

Baran could only gape at the apparition of another character from an anime, the Rose Prince Utena Tenjou.

"Well, I know I'm a woman, but don't you think you're quite rude to stare at me like that?"

The sarcastic remark and the cold gaze of the young girl managed to reboot the higher functions of Baran's brain.

"Huh…? Ah…! No… No!" Baran waved widely his arms as he sweat-dropped. "You have it wrong! It's just that… Well, you remind me of someone I know, but she is much younger and I was surprised to see someone else with the same hair colour."

Utena blinked. Her natural hair colour had been the target of many teasing when she was in the orphanage. As far as she knew, she was the only person with that particular shade. She looked more attentively to the young man in front of her.

He wasn't taller than her and his deep green eyes didn't wander to her chest level but straight in her eyes. He was slightly red from his awkward first introduction and that almost made him…cute. A fresh bout of pain surged in her heart when her mind travelled to the near past as she hastily put back her shields.

Baran was puzzled. His empathic sense had felt the surge of sadness and the emotional shield she quickly summoned. He also wondered why she was back to her short hair appearance. In fact, it looked like someone hacked it with a rusted knife. Well, it was time to make a second and proper introduction.

"I am Baran Sunheart, recently promoted Acting Deputy of Goldenshire. And you are?" The Guardian of Dimension presented his hand.

Utena blinked again. This young boy… No, man, certainly didn't act like most of her male encounters. She took his hand and shook it. The handshake was firm and didn't linger to cop a feel of her: Another good point. She smiled and took in his appearance: He was garbed in dark leather armour and wielded the Alliance symbol, but she could also see foreign garb under the equipment. He was also lightly armed with only a quarterstaff.

"I am Utena Tenjou. I came from somewhere in the West and recently I am a mercenary in search of some needed gold." She managed a small smile. "I guess I can't have this bounty, huh?"

Baran brightly smiled. "On the contrary! I would gladly accept your help on that. I have already tangle with the Defias in the region and they can be tough to deal with. Having another blade at my side would actually ease my mind." He smirked a little. "Actually, it would also reassure my daughter that I have a partner during my ventures."

Utena's eyes widened. "You're married?" Well, that explained why he didn't look at her like a lecher.

Baran shook his head. "No. I adopted her after the slaughter of her family by kobolds." He beamed. "I must confess that she quickly become the apple in my eyes." He shrugged. "Well, what do you think of my proposition? We divide the reward fifty-fifty and I'll even put a good word with the innkeeper of the Lion's Pride. He owns me a few favours."

Utena managed to contain herself. It was better than what she had expected. They sealed the deal with another handshake and a smile and walk outside the town.

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Utena was impressed by the professionalism of her new partner. She thought first that he was an Arcanist then she decided that he was a Scout. She shook her head: Baran seemed to defy any categorization. He even said to her as they stop to eat a snack: "Specialization is a dead end, a lethal one."

Their bounty was Garrick Padfoot, some sort of a lieutenant among the Defias and leader of a relatively small group of them in the region. The two of them managed to gather enough information from the local people to corner his lair near the vineyards east of the Northshire Abbey. He had a nasty reputation as a cutthroat.

Utena blinked in amazement when Baran simply changed colours like a chameleon when he went to scout the lair. It was incredible: It seemed to also have some training as a rogue, or perhaps a ranger with a little touch of Arcane Magic.

She had a bitter smile as she patted the hilt of her sword. She could feel it vibrating at her hip. The "Sword of Dios" was no mere trinket and she was responsible of it.

After some time, Baran came back with a nasty smirk. "Found him. I even eliminated a few Defias on the way. We now have a direct path to Garrick and he has two bodyguards with him. How do you want to do it, Utena?"

The pink-haired teenager was surprised by the offer. Baran was a leader-type of some sort and yet he asked for her thoughts in the planning. That changed her from those who gave orders and explained things after it was finished.

"Do you think you can distract the two guards as I go straight for Garrick?"

Baran shrugged. "Shouldn't be a problem. If we conserve the surprise, it should even be easy."

"Then let's go."

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Well, Baran had been right. It had been easy. They have rushed the interior of the shack simultaneously: Baran from the front door and she kicked the window open for her entry.

The Quarterstaff had been the weapon of choice to retain the attention of the two bodyguards and using the Sword of Dios was almost overkill against the Defias leader. Utena was now almost sure that the black-haired youth was a Jack-of-all-Trades as she witnessed the use of a magic ray of blue energy from his eyes during the fight.

After killing their adversaries, Utena had cut off the head of Garrick Padfoot to prove they killed him. It was a messy and gross job, but she nonetheless did it. She was happy to see that Baran was also repulsed by this necessity. A good thing since she considered extending her partnership with him longer than just this job.

The two of them quickly looted the corpses and departed before the rest of the Defias group found what happened. She had been flabbergasted when Baran made all the loot disappeared in…HIS POCKET?!

As they ran off the Defias lair, Baran had explained that he had a technique that allowed him to stock a great deal of stuff in some kind of magic pocket without having a weight problem. A very, very useful trick. Her future association with the young man was more and more appealing.

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Marshal Dughan was smiling when Baran presented him his new partner. It was a measure of the wisdom of an adventurer to realize that there is safety in numbers. The strangely pink-coloured hair of the young woman didn't hide the way she was walking: As a Warrior and her blade was hardly a toy.

He was even much happy when they presented him a bloody burlap sack. "Hah…! You caught him!" He nodded approvingly. "You two have done Elwynn a great service, and earned a nice bounty! Come with me."

Baran held his promise and presented Utena to the innkeeper Farley who happily opened a small bedroom for her. To her embarrassment, the young Acting Deputy also took care of some of her other problems. Having run away from the remains of the wreckage of her guild, Utena was not only without money, but also without basic necessities.

Baran had used part of his own reward to procure her with some deeply needed equipment and new clothes. The introduction of his adopted daughter, Rin, had also been a good surprise.

The little wonder was a really sweet child with a sharp eye and Baran had been happily surprised that Rin talked with great facility to the blue-eyed warrior.

Utena had frowned when she heard Rin called Baran "Master" as it reminded her of the bad connotations of the role of the "Rose Bride", but the little girl had explained that she couldn't think of any other reference to her saviour for now. The brown-eyed little girl perfectly understood that the young man had adopted her, but she felt duty-bound to him as more than her daughter.

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During the following week, Utena found herself more and more at ease with her new partner and his daughter. It was visible that Baran deeply cared for Rin. Almost all the time he brought her something from their missions.

Rin was also very happy of the presence of the pink-haired warrior. She even had asked her to look after her Master when they went on the roads. Utena had been surprised to learn that Baran wasn't that adverse to have Rin going with them, although she remarked that he carefully let her stay at home when the missions were dangerous.

In fact, little by little, she found herself being drawn out from her shell by those two. And she wasn't struggling much.

The Marshal Dughan had put them directly head on with the sweeping out of the local Defias Brotherhood. The killing of Garrick Padfoot seemed to have stirred a hornet nest.

During those fights she had seen Baran unleashed more and more of his strange powers. She had been surprised when he explained that it wasn't Arcane energy but an internal form of power distilled from his own willpower. The more will and experience behind, the more powerful he would become.

She never heard of Psionic Powers before, but Baran revealed to her that the potential was generally locked in most races and that only a feeble percent could hope to access it. There was perhaps one or two Psionists per generation and they didn't stand off with all the problems that Azeroth currently endured.

She didn't contest the usefulness of those powers: She had a partner that could play the role of an Arcanist, a Scout and a Healer at the same time. She had shaken her head in amazement when he used Empathic Transfer on her and transferred her wounds to him after a nasty ambush from some Defias thugs. She had been alarmed at his actions, but he healed those wounds right in front of her eyes.

They have been able to command some masterwork weapons from the Militia for those missions. Baran had chosen two daggers, one he reserved for Rin for self-defence and she took a short sword for the fights where she thought that the Sword of Dios was unneeded.

Oh, Baran wasn't without his faults.

For example, she witnessed his vicious and vindictive side when they cleaned up the mines of Fargodeep and Jasperlode from kobold infestation.

Baran had been utterly ruthless and without mercy with the creatures. The use of the power rightly named "Inflict Pain" on the kobold leader named Narg had shocked her. They get good loot from that, but she had been a little taken aback by this dark side of him. Well, he hadn't hid it from her at least.

In fact, she supposed she couldn't really say anything about it when she remembered the form of the revenge she took on the late accursed Akio, the master of her defunct guild.

On the other side, she had confirmation that Baran had a soft heart when innocent people were concerned.

He and Utena had been drawn into a conflict between two farmer families: The Maclure and the Stonefield. They managed to patch things by recovering a lost necklace from a nasty kobold called Goldtooth that actually had a gold tooth.

They even helped the young Maybell Maclure and Tommy Joe Stonefield to elope. During the course of the week they played postman with their love letters, turned Gramma Stonefield on their side, helped William Pestle to make an invisibility potion by collecting some Crystal Kelp from the Murlocs infesting the nearby lake and helped the two lovers to unite during a daring and discreet escape in the night.

Well, the gift of well-made leather gloves and the supply of Healing Potions was enough to compensate the problems and the wounds received dodging some various wandering monsters while they helped the two lovers and now, she knew that Baran was a romantic at heart.

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They took Rin with them for the next set of missions. Utena was a little nervous since they took only one tent, but thought that Rin would serve as an effective chaperone, and beside, it wasn't the first time she was "roughing" it with male company.

The three travelled deep into the forest to regulate the bear and wolf population. Seeing a bear of several hundred pounds charging at you wasn't an experience for the weak heart. Once again, the Psionic powers of Baran had been instrumental to their hunt method. He used an electrical energy wave that stopped and pushed back the charging animal. She just had to step in and thrust her blade in the heart or through the throat of the dazed beast.

Well, in fact, she felt a little envious of the little girl who could cuddle at night with her adoptive father and seemed to share some very deep bond that enabled them to "converse" without words. She frowned at herself as she recognized that she was jealous of the shared warmth between her two companions. She remembered how complete she felt when she held Anthy in her arms at night when the days and life were still bright.

They also found some more normal works at the Eastvale Logging Camp. Rin was happy to play with the children and they gathered bundles of wood and eliminating the almost constant Defias presence.

As they returned to Goldenshire, they ran into a large gnoll presence. Numerous camps were scattered in the deep forest. Baran frowned at that, talking with Utena he quickly concurred that it was most probably the beginning stage of some nasty raids upon the people of Elwynn.

With Utena more than willing to crush this problem before he hatched, they hid Rin in a big tree by creating a hidden shack with ectoplasm matter and camouflaged it. This spot would serve them as a base camp as they tracked down and wiped out the small encampments of gnolls one by one. Most had no more than a dozen creatures and fell easily to their combined might.

Unfortunately, it wasn't the case when they finally found the chief of those monsters.

Hogger was a nasty piece of gnoll. Nearly weighing the double of his fellows, the muzzle of the leader seemed permanently stained by dry blood. He was, of course, better equipped than the rest of his troops and radiated strength and menace.

Baran actually used his powers to cover his approach and poison the meal of the gnolls. The toxic berries he used took care of most of the bodyguards of the gnoll chief, but he was another thing.

Utena and Baran escaped death only by the slightest measure. If they hadn't been well supplied in Healing Potions, they wouldn't have made it. The gnoll was insanely strong and only the stronger magic of her sword, the use of mental attacks from Baran and a well-thrown flask of Alchemist's Fire had brought the beast on the ground.

They decided to not tell how narrow it had been to Rin since Baran could heal easily their wounds. However, seeing the light in those deep brown eyes, she wondered if they truly tricked the perceptive little girl.

They went back to Goldenshire to report back to Marshal Dughan. Rin paraded for her friends in her brand new clothes that they receive from a seamstress in the Eastvale Logging Camp. The Marshal was very happy of the progress made by the Dynamic Duo, or was it a Trio?

The two adventurers had really made quite an impact in the region. Already, many report confirmed a decrease in monsters encounters and the presence of the Defias wasn't as heavy as in the past. Baran and Utena had made good usage of the local armoury and Master Smiths by replacing and repairing their equipment.

When they gained their bedrooms, Utena had another surprise when Rin presented her a bundle of clothes. Her blue eyes widened when she uncovered an intact replica of her old uniform of Duellist. She spontaneously hugged and kissed the little girl who explained that she had used both the skill of the woodcutter seamstress and the power of Matter Manipulation of Baran to create this outfit.

As they climbed in their respective beds, Baran and Utena had some thoughts about the other part of their partnership.

Baran was feeling some sexual tension and wondered how it would end. He deeply respected the pink-haired girl from both his anime knowledge and the actual and real personality of the warrior, but he was also a healthy male and Utena was a stunning young woman.

Utena was also thinking about her relationship with the green-eyed Psionist. She readily acknowledged that she considered him her friend. However, she felt deep within herself some urge to deepen this relationship. She hadn't thought she could resettle with someone else after the wounds of her first love, Touga, and the dramatic ending of her relation with the Arcanist and Rose Bride Anthy Himemiya.

Rin had seen the blooming relation between her adoptive father and the newest addition to her little family and was quite content and hopeful for the future.

The three of them fell asleep and dreamed of some happy new days.

Unfortunately, they didn't have the time to take a well-earned rest.

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The very day after their return, the Marshal called them at the first hour.

"Baran, Utena, there's a new threat in Elwynn Forest! Murlocs are swimming up the streams of eastern Elwynn, scaring away fish and attacking gentle folk! I spoke with Remy "Two Times", a local and trustworthy merchant, and his reports worried me."

He began to pace within his office. "Unfortunately, my men are still dealing with the gnolls and the bandits and I can't spare any regulars." He stopped and turned to them. "This is your cue. I need you two to investigate the matter. You will travel to the eastern Elwynn bridge and speak with Guard Thomas. He has been stationed at the bridge for the past week and will know the state of the area."

He looked straight in their eyes. "Bring me his report, but don't hesitate to take initiative if you think the situation warrant it."

As they exited the office, Utena turned to her companion. "What do you think of this?"

"Not good, not very good. The murlocs can easily escape sight and harm by using the water ways and still be able to raid anywhere in vicinity." He nibbled his lower lips. "Rin is tired from our last venture. I'll ask her to stay here while we ensure that no murlocs can raid Goldenshire."

Utena nodded. She was also feeling worried.

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They quickly reached the small garrison stationed near the river bridge and met with the Guard Thomas who promptly explained the dire situation.

"Yes, murlocs have settled in and around the streams of eastern Elwynn." He sighed. "We don't know why they are here, but they are aggressive and at least semi-intelligent."

He hesitated then continued. "A few days ago we sent two Guards, Rolf and Malakai, to investigate along the river, and they have not yet returned. To complete my report, I must know what happened to those men."

Baran could sense the sorrow of the guard about his two missing men. This world wasn't very fair and dealt death too easily. The next words merely confirmed it. "Travel north along the river and find the guards... or their remains."

Utena and Baran stayed silent as they searched for any signs about the two guards. It was Baran who smelled the scent of dried blood and rotting human flesh by using his psionic to boost his sense of smell.

The two friends winced when they found one of the missing men. Or rather his rests. Although much had been stripped from the corpse, Utena found nearby a medallion dog tag-like with the words "Footman Malakai Stone" etched upon it.

Baran forced himself to remain cool as he examined the pieces of body. "Hum… He has been hacked into pieces by crude weapons and I can see teeth and claw marks on some part of his flesh."

Utena shook her head. "How can you stay so…cold? Why are you not reacting…more?"

Baran turned a sad smile to his partner. "I cheat, of course. I'm using my power to stay focused on the facts, not their implication."

Utena stared at him. "I do not envy you."

Taking the medal with them, the two adventurers resumed their search. It was Utena who find the last missing footman.

Upon further searching the area, she found webbed footprints leading east along the shore of Stone Cairn Lake. In the distance to the east, they could just barely see a Murloc village. Utena brought out one of the few remains of her old life: A gift from Miki, a spyglass, and pointed it to the village. She softly cursed when she saw the remains of a human corpse near a group of murlocs.

Grim, Baran looked at Utena. "We're too late?"

The pink-haired warrior sadly nodded. "I fear so. And we can't even bring back a proof. They're just too many of them in that village. Even your camouflage wouldn't cut it through."

"Well then, I guess it's time to call some reinforcement."

Utena blinked at the black-haired Psionist.

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Once again, Baran had used his power to create constructs from Astral Matter and gave them the appearance of a murloc. Utena actually smiled nastily at the trick: Baran couldn't equalize the numbers, but the handful of constructs would greatly help them.

Curiously, she didn't object that they attacked the village. The call for blood was an intense siren and none of them seemed eager to cover their ears.

They managed to encircle the murlocs with the constructs and when the bedlam began when the copies attacked, they attacked from the flank with Baran using again his Psionic version of the Nekoken and Utena brandishing the Sword of Dios. Although the constructs lacked the number and power to kill the murlocs, they weakened and confused them greatly before their destruction.

The murlocs fought back savagely. Their rubbery bodies seemed frail, but absorbed easily the physical impact of their weapons. Baran was forced to switch to projecting rays of fire or electrical energy and Utena used her ambidexterity to open their guards with her short sword in her right hand and rapidly thrust the Sword of Dios in her left hand through the gap.

Although wounds accumulated, the two friends could sense that they were winning. Suddenly, Utena instinctively blocked an overhead blow from a quarterstaff that actually broke her battle rhythm. She rapidly found herself on the defensive as the shaman of the tribe dealt personally with her.

She dodged a lethal spell launched upon her, but her foot encountered a bloodied area and she slipped down. The murloc pounced on her and she was forced to discard her weapons to prevent him to bite in her throat.

She cringed as she felt her strength decreasing and saw the sharp teeth approaching more and more of her vulnerable throat. She didn't understand why the Sword of Dios didn't bestow the strength of the Rose Prince to her like all the other times. Too focused and tired to spare the breath, she screamed in her mind for Baran and continue to resist. If this was it, she would face it head on.

And he was suddenly there. A vicious, almost invisible due to speed, slash from his clawed hand threw away the bleeding shaman from her. Enraged, Baran summoned his Mind Blade and revealing a new ability, threw it at the murloc. The energy blade tore open the belly of the monster, spreading his innards on the grass. The shaman died with a snarl of denial.

Utena shook as she tried to regain her breath. It had been close, too close. She remembered her mental state just after the end of her guild and a little part of her was happy that she no longer thought of suicide. On the other hand, the largest part of her mind realized how much she wanted to live and she was in a state of shock. Quite "shocking" for the supposed tough warrior she was.

Reaching with both his physical and mental senses, Baran swept out the area for other threats, but found no one alive except him and his partner. He stopped when he saw her state and acted on his instincts.

Utena found herself in a powerful embrace and someone was murmuring soothing words to her ear. She stiffened: Up till now she always had been the strong and supporting one, following her childhood oath to become a prince like the one who visited her at the burial of her parents and presented her with the Rose Seal.

Two times already, she had accepted a male embrace, and the two times she had been burned and abused and even worse. '_Well, the third time is the charm as they say._'

Baran had sensed her stiffen and prepared to release her when Utena returned the embrace and he could feel her quietly sobbing in relief. With a bitter smile, he remembered the first time he saw death in the eyes: He was too young to really realize what should have happened should his fall from a tree hadn't been stop by the low branches. Nonetheless, his heart had beaten rapidly and he had found himself shaking for a long time.

The two stayed like this a moment before separating on a silent signal. Taking refuge into the routine they developed after routing an enemy, the Guardian of Dimensions and the Rose Prince searched every corner of the murlocs village, taking anything of value.

It was Baran who took care of the mortal remains of the last guard they searched for. He found around the neck of the corpse a metal medallion inscribed with the words "Footman Rolf Hartford" and sighed. Another life lost. At least, now their loved ones would be able to reach an end and go on in life… Perhaps…

Now that they have both medallions, they just had to deliver them to Guard Thomas at the bridge so that he might know the fate of his murdered guards.

The Guard saw them coming from upstream. "Hello, Baran and Utena. Have you discovered the fates of Rolf and Malakai?"

Utena and her partner could only sigh as the young woman extracted two medallions from her pocket, some dried blood still visible on it. The grim expression of the guard matched the one of the two adventurers as he took them in his hand. "You have confirmed my fears, Utena." He closed tightly his fist around the medallions. "The murlocs are a threat we cannot ignore." He reached for his belt pouch. "I have already written my report. Please give it to Marshal Dughan and also give those two medals back, please." He shook his head. "I know we don't have many troops to spare, but hopefully Dughan can find someone."

Baran waved away his worries. "Don't be too concerned about that. Utena and I already wipe out one of the village near the lake."

Thomas's eyes widened. "Really!" He was impressed and a little fearful about the potential of the two young peoples. Persons with their potential could effectively be counted on one hand. Perhaps two, if one considered all the races of the Alliance.

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The return to Goldenshire was almost anti-climatic. The duo had little problems along the road. Mainly from hungry animals and idiot kobolds.

The Marshal was thoughtful as he finished reading the report and stared at the two medallions in his hand. "Hmm, this news is troubling. Already our defences are stretched thin with all the problems happening at the same time, and losing Rolf and Malakai to those murlocs put us in an even worse position. They were quite good, too good to be replaced easily." He pinched his lips. "If things don't improve, there will be fighting in Goldenshire by the week's end!" His eyes narrowed. "There's only one thing to do."

He took a parchment and began to write. "Unfortunately, that means I need you two, again!"

Utena and Baran actually chuckled at that. The young man shook his head "Yeah, we understood that."

Dughan grinned. "Well, it'll enable me to take two birds with one stone." He sealed the letter with his signet. "I wanted to wait a few weeks, but your talent is actually wasted in this town." He held up the letter. "I'm reassigning you directly to Stormwind. Your reputation and you actual value has reached the ears of my superiors and they simply need people like you."

Utena and Baran looked to each other. They had actually intended to depart for Stormwind once their financial situation had improved and the rewards they received for the last job was enough. Beside, they could only stagnate in skills and possibilities if they stayed here.

Beside, they could also notice something in the eyes of the other. What happened on the lake shore in the village murloc had left its mark and they needed to deal with it.

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Notes: It seemed a little slow, but I don't want Utena falling into the arms of Baran after just one look.


End file.
